Shoe shelving



June 3, 1930. w HORMES 1,761,667

SHOE SHELVING Filed May 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w. T. HORMES.

SHOE SH LVING June 3, 1930.

2 Sheeis-Sheec .2

Filed May 2, 1928 gwuwntoc H W m 6 Patented June 3, 1930 WILLIAM 'I. HORMES, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND SHOE SHELVING Application filed May 2, 1928. Serial No. 274,602.

This invention is a shelving structure primarily designed for supporting and display ing boxes of shoes, but is not limited to this particular use.

Heretofore, it has been customary to so construct shoe shelving that the ends of each stack of shelves consists of soft wood of full width, solid material 12" to 13 wide. This arrangement has made it necessary to provide spaced apart grooves the full width of the respective ends, so as to secure the desired shelf spacing and to aid in supporting the shelves. It is also customary to drive nails through the said ends into the shelves, in an effort to brace and strengthen the structure, but the expansion and contraction of the ends due to atmospheric and temperature changes frequently causes the wood to split, with a consequent weakening of the parts anda general letdown so far as rigidity is concerned.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a rigid shoe shelving so constructed as to avoid the objectionable characteristics above pointed out, and which at the same time is more economical as to the use of material. A further object is to provide a construction which lends itself to the use of ply wood to extend'over the ends of the shelves, so that nails may be driven through said ply wood into the shelves to stifien the structure, and

without danger of splitting the wood, because ply wood normally will not expand and contract to the same extent as the solid wood. A further object is to provide a structure in which the end walls and spacer strips may be so assembled as to present flush interior surfaces, and thereby eliminate projections and shoulders which would otherwise interfere with the insertion and removal of shoe boxes.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of a shelving constructed in EICCOICJIDCB with the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view. Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View. Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating a slight modification.

Referring to the drawing," 10 designates vertical spaced apart the front corners of spacer strips located at the shelving structure,

and 11 indicates vertically disposed supporting strips at the rear corners thereof. The inner face of each of the strips 10 is provided with a transverse groove 12, and the rear portion of each stripis cut-away at the inner corner to provide a longitudinal shoulder, as indicated at 13, the cut-away portion being of the same depth as that of the groove 12, so that a wall is provided which lies flush with the inner longitudinal wall of said groove. The strips 11 are provided with grooves 15 spaced to correspond grooves 12.

with the spacing of the The rear edge of each shelf 16 carries a stop strip 17 of a length to fit between the two supporting strips 11.

Each stop strip is provided with a groove to receive the edge of the shelf and is secured to the shelf in suitable manner, as by nails ment the stop strip s 18. By this arrangeerves to prevent warping of'the shelf, and the portions of the strip which extend above and. below the plane of the shelf, serve to limit rearward movement of shoe boxes and the like while being placed upon the shelf.

Each shelf 16 is also provided at its front edge with a widened portion 19, the end edges of which extend into the grooves 12 of oppositely positioned strips 10, the rear edges of said shelves extending into the grooves 15 of the strips 11." By making the widened portions 19 of a width co-extensive with the length of the grooves 12, and inserting them into said grooves, the side edges 20 of the shelvesare spaced away from the walls 14 of the respective strips 10. In other words, a recess is provided between each shelf edge 20 and the adjacent face 14: of a strip 10.

Located within the vertically aligned recesses thus provided is the e nd wall 21, the forward edge of which abuts against the shoulder 13,

said end wall may be constructed of any desirable material, but it is preferred to use ply wood for this purpose, because it is not susceptible to any notic sion andcontraction temperature changes.

In practice, a stack eable degree to expanunder atmospheric and of shelving is constructed by erecting two strips 10 at the front corners of the stack, and two strips 11 at the rear corners of the said stack. The shelves 16 are then placed in position, with the widened portions 19 projected into the grooves 12, and the rear edges of the shelves pushed back into the grooves 15 of the strips 11. When so positioned the stop strips 17 will lie between but flush with the strips 11. After the shelves have been mounted the end walls 21 are placed in position with their front edges seated in the recesses formed by the cutout portions. It will be noted that as soon as the shelves are engaged with the upright strips, a substantially rigid structure is produced, but in order to further brace the structure, nails, screws or other fastening devices, indicated at 22, may be driven through the end walls 21 into the contiguous edges of the shelves.

It will be observed that the outer face of each strip 10, at the front portion thereof is also cut-out, indicated at 23, to form a recess. here two stacks of shelving are to be placed in alignment, as illustrated in Figure 4, the adjacent strips 10 of any two stacks are properly spaced to receive a pilaster-supporting strip 24, the corners of which engage the recesses 23. The pilaster supporting strip 24 is of such proportions that the spacer strips 10 are brought into abutted relation, and are secured to the strip 24 by means of screws or similar fasening devices 25. The pilaster 26 may he removably secured to the strip 24 in any desired or well known manner.

The ends of a stack may be finished by providing a finishing wall 27, which is supported by a front strip 28 and a rear strip 29, said front strip having a cutaway portion forming a recess 30. Each strip 28 is located ad jacent to a strip 10 and so spaced relative thereto as to receive a pilaster-supporting strip 24, somewhat wider than the pilaster strip 24, but complement-a1 to the recesses 23 and 30, respectively. The strips 10 are attached to the strips 24 in suitable manner, as for instance by means of screws 25. The pilaster 26 may be attached to the strip 24 in any desired manner.

The advantages of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it belongs. For instance, an important advantage is that in lieu of the wide ends which have been heretofore used in the art, the same material will supply several of the spacer strips 10 above described and at the same time provision is made by which the end walls may be constructed of relatively thin material. By reason of this fact, it is possible to use ply wood for the end walls, thereby greatly reducing the danger of splitting and consequent loss of bracing effect, and also substantially reducing the Weight of the shelving, which is an important item in connection with shipment and other handling of the shelves. By constructing the shelves with the widened front portions, the side edges of the shelves are so spaced with respect to the spacer strips that ample accommodation is provided for the end walls, and the inner surfaces of said end walls lie flush with the inner surfaces of the spacer strips, thereby eliminating projections and shoulders which would otherwise interfere with the insertion and removal of shoe boxes. Another important advantage is that the stop strips not only serve to limit inward movement of the boxes on the shelves, but they also reenforce the rear edges of the shelves so as to prevent warping thereof.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what is claimed is 1. A shelving structure comprising front spacer strips each having one longitudinal face provided with a transverse groove, a shelf having a' widened front portion co-eX- tensive with and extended into said grooves, one corner of each strip adjacent to said shelf having a cut-away portion to provide a recess between the edge of the shelf and said strip, means for supporting the rear portion of said shelf, and end walls engaging said shelf and each having a front edge fitting in one of said recesses.

2. A shelving structure comprising front spacer strips each having one longitudinal face provided with a transverse groove, rear spacer strips, a shelf having a widened front portion the ends of which are co-extensive with and extended within said grooves, one corner of each front spacer strip adjacent to the shelf having a cut-away portion to provide a recess between the shelf and the strip. one wall of said recess being flush with the inner longitudinal wall of the groove, the rear edge of said shelf engaging said rear spacer strips, and end walls engaging the side edges of said shelf and having their front. edges fitting in said recesses.

3. A shelving structure comprising front spacer strips each having one longitudinal face provided with a transverse groove, rear spacer strips, a shelf having awidened front portion co-extensive with and extended into said groove, one corner of each strip at the rear thereof having a cut-away portion to provide a recess between the edge of the shelf and said strip, each strip also having a cutaway portion at the front thereof to provide a seat for a pilaster supporting strip. the rear edge of said shelf engaging said rear spacer strips, and end walls engaging the side edges of said shelf and having front edges fitting in the recesses between the shelf and the strips.

4. A shelving structure comprising front spacer strips each having one longitudinal face provided with a transverse groove, a shelf having a widened front portion co-extensive with and extended into said grooves, one corner of each strip adjacent to said shelf having a cut-away portion to provide a recess between the edge of the shelf and said strip, means supporting the rear portion of the shelf, end walls engaging said shelf and each having a front edge fitting in one of said recesses, a finishing wall provided with a front strip spaced from one of said spacer strips and having a recess therein, the adjacent spacer strip also having a recess in the front portion thereof, and a pilaster supporting strip seated in the recesses of said front strip and the last mentioned spacer strip.

5. A shelving structure comprising a plurality of adjacent stacks arranged end for end, each stack comprising front spacer strips, each of which is provided with spaced apart transverse grooves in one face thereof, shelves each having a widened front portion co-extensive with and extended into the respective grooves, one corner of each strip adjacent to said shelves having a cut-away por-' tion to provide recesses between the side edges of the respective shelves and said strips, means for supporting the rear portions of said shelves, end walls engaging the side edges of said shelves and each having a front edge fitting in said recesses, said front spacer strips also having recesses arranged in their front edges, and pilaster supporting strips located between adjacent front spacer strips and engaging the front recess of the last mentioned strips.

6. A shelving structure comprising a plurality of stacks arranged end for end but in spaced relation, each stack being provided with spaced apart shelves, and means supporting said shelves including vertically disposed spacer strips each having a longitudinal shoulder in one front corner, so that while adjacent spacer strips of any two stacks are in abutted relation a recess is provided by the shoulders of said strips, and a pilastersupporting strip located within said recess.

7. A shelving structure comprising a plurality of stacks arranged end for end but in spaced relation, each of said stacks having spacer strips, each of which is provided with spaced apart transverse grooves in one longitudinal face, the front edge of each of said strips being provided with a longitudinal shoulder, shelves each having a widened front portion co-extensive with and extended into grooves of said strips, one corner of each spacer strip adjacent to said shelves having a cut-away portion to provide recesses between the edges of said shelves. and said strips, means for supporting the rear portions of said shelves, end walls engaging the edges of said shelves and having their front edges fitting within said recesses and abutted against the rear edge of said widened portions of the shelves, the adjacent front spacer strips of any two stacks abutting each other so that said longitudinal shoulders provide a recess, and a pilaster supporting strip located in the last mentioned recess.

8. A shelving structure comprising front spacer strips each having one longitudinal face provided with a transverse groove, a shelf having a widened front portion co-extensive with and extended into said grooves, one corner of each strip adjacent to said shelf having a cut-away portion to provide a recess between the edge of the shelf and said strip, means for supporting the rear portion of said shelf, sheets of ply wood arranged to engage the side edges of said shelf and each having a front edge fitting in one of said recesses and abutting against the rear edges of the portions of said shelves which are extended into said grooves, and means securing said sheets of ply wood to the contiguous edges of said shelves.

9. A shelving structure comprising front spacer strips, rear spacer strips, a shelf having its front and rear edges engaged with said strips, so that the shelf is supported thereby in a normally fixed position, and a stop strip secured to the rear edge of said shelf and having its ends abutting the respective rear spacer strips.

10. A shelving structure comprising front spacer strips provided with transverse grooves, rear spacer strips, a shelf having a widened front portion coextensive with and extended into said grooves, the rear edge of said shelf near the corners thereof engaging said rear spacer strips, a stop strip secured to the rear edge of said shelf and located between said rear spacer strips, the ends of the l stop strip abutting said rear spacer strip, and end walls engaging said shelf.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM T. HORMES. 

